CES 2015 brings Next-Gen Surveillance Tech to the fore

Video Surveillance has now become a ubiquitous reality. Surveillance cameras on streets, other public institutions and even homes are a common sight. The technology has gone through rapid changes with introduction of Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, LED lenses, drones and robots, and cloud storage facilities for seamless data interoperability.

The recently concluded 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (2015) featured a host of new products and storage devices pertaining to Video Surveillance. The most eye-catching among these was a new video platform introduced by Florida based company IC Real Tech. This new technology, known as the Allie, would enable 720-degree video monitoring. The IC Real Tech IC 720 has a dual lens camera, recordings of which can be seen in real-time on one’s mobile phone. For this revolutionary idea IC Real Tech was awarded the 2015 CES Innovations Award.

The CES 2015 also saw an array of new type of light bulbs that can multitask by acting as a conventional light bulb, a security camera, a speaker and also a microphone. Sengled, introduced three models namely Pulse, Boost and Snap, that can operate these functions. Among these, Snap which is the latest model has a built-in webcam, motion sensor, microphone, and speaker for home security and monitoring.

Innovation and Technology have resulted in a major paradigm shift in the surveillance industry. Moving away from the basic CCTV cameras and home security systems, we now have IP cameras with HD image quality, video analytics and automatic CCTV cameras.

Emphasizing on the importance of surveillance, the Obama government has recently requested the Congress for $75 million to be invested in buying of body cameras for the police. These wearable camera recordings can act as a powerful and efficacious tool in holding people accountable for their actions. The wearable cameras allow for mobility and live recording of the situation. Liquid Image, a company based in California, USA, demonstrated its Ego LS wearable 4G camera at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015. It is enabled to integrate streaming metadata from other peripheral connected devices such as Biometrics, Geo-location, and other sensor information.

While surveillance might at times intrude our privacy, but the advantages the technology brings forward clearly outweigh it. Newer technological products and continued innovation can make video surveillance a much more hassle free and affordable option to all.